The World Is Changed
by Ajac
Summary: "There is no such thing." "As a happy ending?" "As an ending."
1. Act 1, Creation

So, Standard Disclaimer here. I own not one blasted thing. I barely own the clothes on my back. A few notes, also: this is my first story. It was beaten out in the course of a few hours, immediately after having seen the movie "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time". I was struck with Inspiration, you might say. The world I've depicted probably isn't Canon-compliant. I simply thought 'what sort of world invents time travel?' and went with it. The date 2660 is the date the time traveler from the original novel(the one who Makoto's Aunt is waiting for) comes from; all other dates were invented by myself, in relation to that. Ya'akov is Transliteration of the original Hebrew name for Jacob; he served Laban for a grand total of fourteen years, all because he fell in Love with Rachel. He seemed, therefore, good company for Romeo, Tristan, and Paris. Besides which, all three of those came to bad ends, whereas Jacob and Rachel have a much happier time, although, to be fair, she does die, many years later, giving birth to Benjamin, the last son of Jacob. Finally, the name of the piece comes from the opening narration of the Peter Jackson 'Lord of the Rings' movies. The relevant quote is "The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it."

* * *

The world was changed in 2660, in the middle of the Third Millennium of the Common Era.

The human race had grown. Earth was one city, an ecumenopolis. Oh, not all was paved over, it was true. But what History called "The Amazon Rain-forest" was still called so only out of respect for tradition; a more accurate term would be "The Great Amazon Parks", for they were bisected by roads and shuttle-ways and great towers. The Sahara, that ancient beast which devoured armies, had long since been slain. The seas and skies were full of the towers and citadels of the race of man. Earth, like Rome of old, could not support itself. Daily shipments from Luna's vast greenhouses, the satellite citadels, and monthly shipments from Mars, kept the city-planet fed, while Earth exported the manufactured sum of it's labors back, even out to the distant colonies in the Trojan belt and farther still, to the frontier realms of Europa, Ceres, Enceladus, and more. With one thing and another, though humanity had spread to fill the solar system, a person on Earth saw, in their daily lives, not nearly as many people as they would have seen at the dawn of the Third Millennium. Yes, the human race had grown, but most of Earth was a ghost town, her children having by and large moved up and out.

But the Solar System's government still reigned from the Mother Planet. The Solar Parliament convened to represent the Lunar Colonial Federation, The Martian Lords, The Guild Council of the Trojans, and The Outer Realms, but it was always hosted by The Masters of Earth.

The Masters, a enigmatic council of 21, commanded by The Overlord, their leader, founder and the Unnumbered Master, were doubtless tyrants: their word, especially that of Overlord, was Law on Earth, and carried a good deal of weight even on the satellite citadels, many founded for the express purpose of being free of The Masters' rule. But since their coming to power at the dawn of the Solar Parliament's age, in 2542, many satirists had quipped that they had managed to create on Earth a model democracy. Those who complained of The Masters' rule usually did so purely on the principal of so few having such power over so many; the fact that some of these complaints had come from within the Masters' own number is probably telling, though God alone knows what it tells. Still, they were benevolent rulers, especially compared to several of the nation state governments they had overthrown.

Nevertheless, The Masters' power had waned, briefly, in the mid-2600's. A combination of hard growing seasons on Luna and the citadels, a loss of resources and larger immigration to Mars was usually cited by the experts. Overlord himself, however, claimed the fault was much simpler.

"The people of Earth, especially the youth, are bored." he said. "They are bored of life on the Mother Planet, because in bringing peace we have inadvertently driven out excitement; we were too successful. We ended the wars of the nation states here, and then there were the Lunar pirates. We attained peace and reconciliation with the LFC only to join them in their war alongside the fledgeling Lords of Mars against Emperor Jocoto's Martian Empire. We overthrew Jocoto, established the Solar Parliament, and now we've no more adventures. Too many things we lost in those wars in the nation states' twilight, too many pieces of our past. The past is in tatters on Earth; our children have decided to seek elsewhere for their futures."

But then the Wonder came. The miracle of modern science. Time travel. Lord Magos, the First Master, Overlord's chief advisor in matters of science and technology, first came up with a drug that allowed one to travel in time in the Year of Our Lord/Common Era Year 2660. Doubtless, this was a dangerous power. Laws would have to be passed. Different Masters founded different schools to prepare one for traveling in time, and Overlord, Master Yama, the Thirteenth Master, and Mistress Mundi, the Twenty-First Master, pushed legislation through the Parliament regulating what could and could not be done in the Past. The very existence of the technology changed science considerably; the concept of Ontological Inertia had been discovered; History, it seemed, had weight. One individual stepping on a butterfly wasn't going to cause the Nazis to win the Second World War, or ensure that the Nobles won the Fourth World War, or enable Jocoto to crush the Solar Alliance and establish his empire across the Solar System. Free Will is powerful, no doubt, but the free will of thousands outweighs the free will of one.

Regardless, limitations were placed on what one was allowed to change, and most of the Schools included techniques for altering memories to prevent detection. That, in the end, was the only immutable law: Don't Get Caught. The past must never know how about time travel. Even when the technology advanced in 2675, allowing one to centralize the time traveling ability, 'time-leaping' into one's own body, and to recharge the 'leaps', that one law remained.

To break it, to allow someone in the past to know about time-leaping, was dangerous beyond all reckoning.

Chiaki Mamiya stood in the palace on the Mediterranean. Rumor had it that the complete lack of towers in the famous sea was due to one or more of the Masters having a liking for the view. Now he knew for sure.

He'd known he would get in trouble. She'd been worth it. He didn't know that 'trouble' would involve being _brought before one of the Masters. _That was an unpleasant s urprise. She was still worth it, but he wasn't sure how he'd wait for her if his atoms were scattered to the solar winds.

What made it worse was that he didn't know WHICH Master. The Sixth Master, The Lord And Lady (who was the Master alternated, The Lord in the first half of the year and The Lady in the second half) were famous for sympathizing with young lovers, and might be talked around to his viewpoint. The Fifteenth Master, the Terror, in charge of the more gruesome aspects of Law and Order under the Masters, would probably listen intently...as he teased out Chiaki's spleen.  
He proceeded along the corridor, as he'd been told, and as he rounded a corner, he saw him coming. His robes and mask, the symbols of his position as a Master, were styled to evoke the archaic image of the Grim Reaper, the Angel of Death, and his namesake, Yamarāja, the Hindu Lord of the Dead. Master Yama, the Thirteenth Master, was a terror to behold, and Chiaki was transfixed as his apparent doom approached him. The grim specter reached out a bony gauntlet towards Chiaki's petrified face, and the boy was certain his doom had come. The fingers clenched, and...

...flicked him in the nose. And thus spoke the Master:  
"Quit gawking, boy. It's only a costume."  
"Ow! That hurt! Er, uh, sir."  
"Bah. You're late."  
"I'm sorry, sir, I came as soon as you summoned-"  
"I didn't summon you, Mamiya. I'm just visiting myself."  
Chiaki blinked.  
"Er. Ok, so, um, sire, if you don't mind my asking, which Master DID summon me?"  
"The owner of the house. Overlord."

Well, that did it. If there was one Master he feared more than Yama, it was the head of them all. Master Yama saw his stricken expression, and put his hand on the boys shoulder, gently urging him towards the double doors he'd just exited.

"Look, lad," he said, "You're not in nearly as much trouble as you think you are."  
"I-I-I'm not?"  
"No. Just remember, we're only human. Under the masks, the robes, the power, we bleed as well as you do. Bleed, eat, sleep...and fall in love, too. Go on now."  
Confused by this last comment, but unable to disobey, Chiaki, shaking, opened the doors, and stepped inside.

It was actually a very nicely appointed room. It was circular, and half was taken up into a balcony that looked at the sunset over the sea. The other half were taken up with bookshelves, a bar, and other amenities. Clearly this was a room to relax in. In a large, comfortable chair, the Overlord, the Unnumbered Master, Undisputed Ruler of Planet Earth, was drinking a fruity drink and idly gazing at the waves.

"Come in, Chiaki."  
"*Gulp* Yes, my lord."

"Oh, calm down, my son. Here, have a seat."  
A chair, smaller than Overlord's, materialized from the floor up. Chiaki nervously sat down, but found it extremely comfortable and relaxing. The Overlord continued to stare at the waves. Like the other Masters, he wore a mask. But were the other's, with the exception of Mistress Mundi, who was rumored to be...'well acquainted'...with Overlord, were fully concealing, decorative, and related to their chosen name. Master Imperator's gave him the appearance of some ancient imperial functionary or ruler, and Master Magos's featured a long beard woven with charms and amulets. The masks of Overlord and Mundi, however, were simple, white half masks, concealing only the top of their faces and leaving the eyes visible, as opposed to obscured, like the glowing eyes of the other Masters' masks.

Finally, Overlord turned to Chiaki.

"Do you know why I have summoned you here?" Chiaki hung his head.

"I broke the immutable law of time travel. I allowed someone from the past to learn about time-leaping." Overlord tilted his drink glass and stared at it in thought.

"Well, yes and no. You're getting ahead of yourself. What you did was, you fell in love, specifically with a girl named Makoto Konno." Chiaki jerked his head up, surprised that Overlord knew so much, or, more accurately, that he considered the fact that he fell in love more pressing than the fact that he had been caught. Overlord smiled.

"Ah! Paris! Tristan! Pyramus! Romeo! Yaʿakov! All the great heroes and martyrs to Love! How well it is that I see you still live!" Chiaki looked even more confused.  
"Uh. What?"  
"Heh. Leave an old man his poetry, sonny. Now, listen. Yes, you broke the law. But this girl has shown amazing skill at Time-Leaping. What we could learn, from studying her method...Chiaki, do you know what's going to happen in the next year?" Chiaki scratched his head, and blinked.

"No, I don't. The nature of Ontological Inertia means that nobody can Leap fast enough to travel into the future, doesn't it?"

"Quite. Those who've tried have lost quantum cohesion and blown themselves to bits. But that's not what I meant. As we speak, Master Magos and a team of researchers from across the system are working on something on Ganymede. A method of transport, using a derivative of the time-leaping technology; Warp Drive, they're calling it. Imagine it, Chiaki. Imagine being able to live on Earth, go to school on Mars in the morning, have lunch on Ceres, head to Europa for the Opera in the evening, and be back to Earth in time for bed." Overlord was clearly enjoying the prospect, and Chiaki's eyes were wide.

"That could revolutionize entire Solar System!"  
"And more besides. Extrasolar exploration has always been hard to sell, no one wants to have to crew a generation ship, but this would change that. We could reach Alpha-Centauri in a few months, instead of a few decades. And in an atmosphere like that, I think we can afford to look the other way when Makoto comes." Chiaki started.

"What?" Overlord sighed.

"I said, she's coming here. You promised you'd wait for her, didn't you?" A beam of happiness spread across Chiaki's face.

"You mean it?! I can go back for her?"  
"Oh, HELL no. You broke the Law; you're grounded. No more time-leaping for you." Chiaki's face fell. "However, she can Leap here."  
"But how? She's out of leaps."  
A small ladybug flew in through the window, and landed on Overlord's left hand. He smiled at the little creature, mischievously.

"Oh, I'll think of something. Perhaps send my little spy here back with a recharge device for her and instructions on how to use it. They've gotten smaller, since you were gone."

Chiaki didn't understand, so he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Sir, why are you so concerned with our happy ending?" Overlord turned to look at him sharply.

"Chiaki Mamiya, there is no such thing."

"As a happy ending?"

"As an ending."


	2. Act 2, Preservation

Remember that disclaimer from way back at the opening to the last chapter? Yep, still in full effect. Brand new Author's Notes, though. First off, I actually intended this to be a one-shot. I left it as "incomplete" by purest accident, and never thought of it. And then...people happened. Suddenly I had an influx of people adding this to Story Favorites and Story Alerts. Well, folks, flattery gets you everywhere. I decided that before I wrote anything else, I'd finish this(and also that I'd make sure to mark stories 'complete' in the future). And, eventually, the Muse struck me with the Inspiration Hammer.

Anyway. Another reason it's been left so long was trying to work around what I realized was a plothole in the last chapter, but I'm hoping none of you did. Fortunately, the Hammer of Inspiration revealed that my problem was also my solution. So, let's get started, The first paragraph is world building and can be safely skipped if you're just looking for Chiaki/Makoto Plot.

* * *

Now the Masters of Earth did not administer the whole of the planet as a group. Most, excepting such as Overlord, Master Yama and Mistress Mundi, had settled in one of the major megalopolises and established administrative fiefdoms. However, these left large swaths of populations outside the fiefdoms. To remedy this state, four of those Masters who had chosen not to establish a fiefdom were dubbed the Lokapalas, The Administrators Of The Four Corners, and given the duty of administering the regions not enveloped in a fief. So, The Nineteenth Master, The Suryavanshi, was over the South-East Quarter, the Southern half of the Eastern Hemisphere, The Eighteenth Master, The Diana, was over the North-West Quarter, The Seventeenth Master, The Zaryan, was over the South-West Quarter, and The North-East belonged to the Twentieth Master, The Shofet.

And so it was to the halls of the Shofet's palace that Chiaki was brought to answer for the crime of breaking the Immutable Law, for allowing someone in the past to know of time travel. Such was the Masters' skill at theatricality and stage management that even knowing ahead of time _exactly_ what The Shofet was going to say, he was still terrified. His trial had been the day before, and today was his sentencing. So there he stood, alone, before the brazen throne of his judge, arrayed like a classical angel of judgement, bearing a golden spear in his hand and a silver trumpet across his lap as his symbols of office, the Shofet stared down through his mask.

"Chiaki Mamiya. You understand that the law you have been accused of breaking is a breach of Solar Parliamentary Law, and that as such it is a bench trial, with right to trial by jury in suspension, and you cannot appeal on this, or any other, count?"  
Deep breath. "Yes, Sirrah Judge."

"Chiaki Mamiya. You understand that for the same reason, the Masters are accorded the right to wiegh in, each in their turn, that any decision is not mine alone, and borne instead by all the Masters? And, thus, any decision I hand down today is considered the decision of the full government of Earth, and will further be accorded the position of Law by all organization within the Solar Parliament, as per the Temporal Proclamations and the Universal Extradition Treaty?"

"Yes, Sirrah Judge."  
"The hear this, Chiaki Mamiya, for this is the judgement of the Masters. We have, this past night, spoken and debated at length on your fate. We have found you guilty on the sole count of the State's Charge, which is the breach of the Immutable Law of Time Travel."  
There was an audible intake of breath from the gallery.

"Your sentence was the primary source of debate, for the fact of the charge is irrefutable. The decision was two fold. First, that you did what you did from Love. As there are legal precedents for what are typified 'crimes of passion', even if this does stretch the term, and the Masters have no desire to discourage the pursuit of Eros and Kama among their subjects, this being deemed to deny them future subjects..."

Now there were audible snickers and chuckles, including a smirk from the Shofet himself. All told, he was one of the most approachable Masters, frequently giving lectures at universities throughout his Quarter on subjects of Religion, Philosophy and Law. But his face grew stern again.

"...We deigned to show mercy. However we also cannot, and I stress this, CANNOT, permit such actions to be undertaken ever again, we have also deemed that your punishment must still be severe. So know this, Chiaki Mamiya. You are hereby, now and forever, forbidden to ever time travel. If you are found to have done so, even unto five minutes into the past, you will be immediately seized, and, without further trial, shall be taken to a public place, whereupon a scaffold shall be erected and, like the traitors of old, you shall be hangéd by the neck until dead."  
Chiaki knew it was coming, but still grew pale. "Yes, Sirrah Judge."

"Further, in part because it has been deemed that you might rush back in time to see your fair maiden once more, in spite of or even because of the threat to your life, you are hereby placed under probation, to be secluded for the next year to this Palace and its environs."  
This was not unexpected. The Shofet's Palace was a city unto itself, containing this courtroom, public housings and schools, and sundry similar institutions. As The Shofet was known to have a skill for reforming wrong-doers rather than simply punishing them, this would be seen to take the sting from the death sentence.

"Yes, Sirrah Judge. Thank you for your mercy."  
And, with that, and a few more traditional remarks from the Shofet, the bailiffs, the lawyers and so on, the Shofet banged the staff upon the floor, and court was adjourned . The Shofet pointed rather ominously at Chiaki, who had turned to go.

"No, no, Mister Mamiya. I'll be escorting you to your new quarters personally. I've a few choice words about your behavior, off the record."  
Certain now that they would be missing the mother of all diatribes, the crowd filed out. After they were all gone, The Shofet held up five fingers, and silently counted down, to Chiaki's confusion. When he reached zero, he placed the silver trumpet on its stand by the throne, and motioned for Chiaki to follow.

"Wise man once said, always allow five seconds for people 'accidentally' forgetting to shut the door behind them. Any longer and someone's going to notice them eavesdropping, so they won't stay unless they can actually hear you talking."  
Chiaki looked baffled. "What, really?"  
"Maybe. What I was always told growing up, certainly. This way. We're running late; that paternity case took far too long. Which just means that bringing in the entire high school football team as evidence was inconvenient as well as bad taste."  
He had motioned towards a wall, which Chiaki had noticed was now drawing back, revealing a descending staircase. As the approached it, what part of the Master's face that was visible through his mask took on a thoughtful look.

"You know, we Masters seem to put a surplus of hidden doors and passages in our structures. I don't even remember why I WANTED this staircase, just that I DID. I swear, this theatrical stuff gets into your head. Come along, lad."

As they reached the bottom, Chiaki jumped visibly as Overlord and Master Yama appeared from a side passage.

"Chiaki," said Overlord, "you're late."  
"Indeed," said Yama, "punctuality is the politeness of princes, young man."  
"Ah, tis my doing, gents," said Shofet, "for I had a cad in the dock trying to get out of paying for the rearing of the child he sired."  
"Egad. Poor girl, is she alright?" asked Yama.

"Oh, I'm given to understand that she left the fool over two years ago, before the child was born, and has these past six months been with the childhood friend who always wanted her, and she finally started seeing him the same way he saw her."  
"And the deadbeat dad?" quoth Yama.

"Hah. He thought to make her out to be the town bicycle; unfortunately, all the lads he brought in all thought he was a brute and she was a sweet girl, so they plead the Fifth! Hah, like the old joke, I said 'alimony' but I really meant 'all the money'."

Chiaki's state here is best mentioned. Imagine yourself in his position; three of the entities who you have been raised from birth to fear, revere and obey with a near-religious devotion, whose power you firmly believe is second only to God (and that a close race), to whom even the laws of physics are more 'guidelines' than proper laws, are standing before you. They're also laughing and joking around like three old college buddies. Chiaki's face, in short, was such that it cannot be adequately described in any language of Men, Elves, Dwarfs or Ents. There are a few words in Orcish that could cover it, but these are unprintable.

Overlord snapped his fingers in front of Chiaki's face, to no response.

"Lads, I think we broke him."

Yama smacked the lad upside the head, and he fell forward.  
"Yama!" Overlord and Shofet cried.

"It worked. You alright, lad?"  
Chiaki spluttered a bit, but managed an affirmative, and was able to follow the three down to a large door at the end of the hall. Finally, he plucked up enough backbone to ask the question that was burning in his mind.  
"Um, Sires? Where are we going?"

Overlord looked back and seemed genuinely surprised, as he opened the door.

"Why, to meet your girlfriend, of course."

And there, in the room, being wrapped in a blanket by a number of medically garbed attendants, and with a few more Masters either seeing to her or the large mechanism she had just been brought from, was Makoto. She saw him and smiled.

Realization dawned on Chiaki, and he just had enough to time to ask "How?" before their bodies got the message that their eyes had sent their brains, and they rushed together and embraced. Overlord grinned.

"Funny you should ask. As it happens, I cheated more than a bit..."


End file.
